Elon Musk just pulled the plug on his Washington adventure, leaving the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) with a parting shot at bureaucratic nonsense, as Breitbart reports. The tech mogul was chosen by Donald Trump in November 2024 to lead the charge against government waste and to untangle federal red tape. Now, he’s done, and the swamp’s still murky.
Musk’s stint as a special government employee leading DOGE aimed to gut excess regulations and restructure bloated agencies. His 130-day tenure, capped by law, ends as May 2025 wraps up, right on schedule. The mission to make government leaner continues, but Musk has had enough of D.C.’s inertia.
From the get-go, DOGE was Trump’s brainchild to drain the swamp of wasteful spending. Musk, a billionaire with a knack for disruption, seemed the perfect fit to shake things up. Yet, the New York Times notes that he is keeping some distance from Trump, even if White House insiders insist they’re still chummy.
Musk didn’t mince words about his D.C. experience, slamming the “rot embedded deep within Washington.” He stated, “As my scheduled time as a Special Government Employee comes to an end, I would like to thank President @realDonaldTrump for the opportunity to reduce wasteful spending." Sounds polite, but you can hear the gritted teeth.
That frustration peaked when Musk torched the Trump-backed “big, beautiful bill” he claimed sabotaged DOGE’s efforts. Congress, he fumed, has barely budged on meaningful reform, leaving his grand vision half-baked. Turns out, even a tech titan can’t outsmart Capitol Hill’s playbook.
Still, Musk’s cheerleaders are singing his praises. “The work DOGE has done to eliminate government waste and corruption … is among the most valuable services ever rendered to government,” gushed Stephen Miller, White House deputy chief of staff. Valuable? Sure, but the swamp’s still swampy.
Miller’s not alone in his applause. “And the work has only just begun,” he added, hinting DOGE’s mission will outlive Musk’s exit. That’s optimistic, but without Musk’s star power, will the momentum fizzle?
Conservative firebrand Charlie Kirk piled on the gratitude. “A grateful nation thanks you,” Kirk declared, crediting Musk with changing the federal government’s culture. Changing culture is nice, but bloated budgets don’t shrink on good vibes alone.
Kirk wasn’t done. “You changed the culture of the federal government for the better -- an incredibly difficult feat,” he said. Difficult? Try Herculean, when every bureaucrat has a desk to defend.
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene also tipped her hat. “Thank you @elonmusk for your incredible efforts and sacrifices you made to launch DOGE to save America from our national debt crisis,” she said. Noble words, but Congress’s inaction makes her plea for “cutting waste, fraud, and abuse” sound like a pipe dream.
Greene’s not wrong, though. “This should only be the beginning of delivering government efficiency for the American people,” she urged. Too bad Congress prefers grandstanding over governing.
An anonymous supporter echoed the sentiment: “Although Congress has failed to act significantly, you have awakened many people to the true and utter corruption of our supposed representatives.” Awakened? Maybe, but sleepy Washington’s hitting the snooze button.
Another anonymous fan called Musk a “true American Patriot” who “sacrificed his billionaire lifestyle” for the cause. Sacrificed? Let’s not forget he’s heading back to Tesla and SpaceX, not a soup kitchen.
“The @DOGE mission will strengthen over time as it becomes a way of life throughout the government,” Musk predicted. Bold claim, but without his boots on the ground, DOGE risks becoming another forgotten acronym.
Ultimately, Musk’s 130 days in D.C. exposed the federal government’s underbelly but didn’t gut it. “America owns a great debt to Elon Musk,” claimed another anonymous admirer. Debt? Sure, but the nation’s still drowning in red ink, and Musk’s just one man who tried.
